Easy Vegan Garlic Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
A simple and easy recipe for healthy vegan garlic cauliflower mashed potatoes. Seriously, this is so good, you can trick your veggie-hating friends with it.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 to 3 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 fresh cauliflower heads OR frozen cauliflower bags (1 – 24oz bag is enough for 2 to 3 servings)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 to 1 tsp of Himalayan salt (to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried garlic powder
Optional toppings:
- grass fed butter or vegan butter
- a drizzle of olive oil
- a sprinkle of dried parsley
Instructions
- If using a fresh cauliflower head (if using frozen go to #2), cut into florets (this video on youtube shows you how) and then steam the cauliflower florets by placing florets in a colander above a pot of boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft (poke them with a fork every so often to check). If you do not have a colander, you can also boil the florets in a pot for 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft. Once the cauliflower florets are soft, transfer to food processor. If you’re boiling the florets, let them drain for a little bit on a paper towel to remove excess water before transferring over. (Read note below about steaming/boiling florets).
- If using FROZEN cauliflower (as in riced cauliflower packages like this one), cook the cauliflower rice as you normally would by heating a stovetop pan to medium heat, adding a drizzle of olive oil and cooking the rice until soft. Once rice is soft, transfer to food processor.
- Add the rest of the ingredients – 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and process until smooth. You can also add some vegan cream cheese to the food processor (I’m loving the Miyoko’s brand found at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods) or a little bit of butter. I don’t usually do this but if I have some on hand sometimes I like to get creative. The mixture should resemble mashed potatoes. It doesn’t take very long. If your cauliflower mashed potatoes are not very smooth or creamy, don’t be afraid to add a little bit more olive oil or even bits of water to help it smooth out. I do this sometimes as needed. Adjust the salt to taste. I cook very low in salt so 1/4 tsp is enough for me – but perhaps you like saltier food.
- Serve with a dollop of butter and a sprinkle of parsley and olive oil on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you’re wanting to make enough servings for 2 or 3 people and are using fresh medium-sized cauliflower, I would use two cauliflower heads, unless you have a really big one.
- If you’re steaming or boiling the cauliflower florets, don’t let them get super soft to the point where they are mushy or you’ll have really wet and watery mashed potatoes. As soon as the florets feel soft that you can pierce them with a fork, remove them from the heat.
Keywords: vegan, cauliflower mashed potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, paleo, healthy, easy, dinner, sides,